Another golden night for Community Radio Kilkenny City

Kilkenny’s only community radio station hit the jackpot on Thursday when the Community Radio National Awards for a wide range of broadcasting excellence were handed out to the winning broadcasters.

Supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, in conjunction with CRAOL, Community Radio Ireland, CRKC were awarded two Golden Awards. 

Collecting the first Gold gong was the Radio adaptation of the Story of the Liam Mac Carthy Cup. The Liam Mac Carthy story won Gold in the Commissioned Programme category. Written by Barrie Henriques, Liam MacCarthy’s Story is a four part dram, telling the story of the most iconic trophy in hurling.

And it was made in Kilkenny, by a Kilkenny man. The four part drama, produced in association with Lake Productions, was a huge hit with audiences when first broadcast in March of this year.

It was such an entertaining dramatisation that the many thousand listeners to the only Community Radio in Kilkenny that tuned in over the four success nights it was aired that the Board of the Radio felt that it was a good idea to submit for an award.

In addition to writer and producer, Barrie Henriques, the project was directed by Ger Cody, who also played the role of Liam MacCarthy with Derek Dooley as interviewer. The series was edited by Mick Cummins of CRKC and narrated by Declan Gibbons.

The drama tells the story of the Cup -famed in song and story- from its inception from the silver mines of the Andes Mountains to the podium in Croke Park on All Ireland Final day. 

The first time the new Liam MacCarthy Cup was presented, it was given to a Kilkenny captain – Liam Fennelly - the only man ever to be presented with the old and new Liam Mac Carthy cups. 

Collecting one National Gold Award was a tremendous achievement for the Kilkenny Community Radio, but when Pat Shortall and the Sunday Serendipity team were announced as the second Kilkenny Gold Award, the large Kilkenny contingent present were filled with pride and delight at this double success. 

Gold Award winners Pat Shortall and Ger Cody (Sunday Serendipity) and Derek Dooley and Barrie Henriques (Liam MacCarthy's Story), with (behind) Declan Gibbons, Station Manager

The programme, Sunday Serendipity, presented by Pat Shortall and featuring a cast of dozens received a Gold award in the category, Social Benefit – Talk. The programme, which ran for a series of 30 episodes up to October 2022 includes contributions from a wide range of community groups and individuals.

These include St Canice’s (RC) parish, Kilkenny, Circeal Comhra Cois Fheoir, Kilkenny Local History Group, Kilkenny Union of Parishes (C of I), Lake Productions, the Mayor’s Historical Walk Group among many others. The series has featured poets, writers, farmers, hurlers, priests, men, women and children, with a particular focus on local talent. 

Reacting to the award, Sunday Serendipity presenter/producer, Pat Shortall said: “I was greatly surprised when Sunday Serendipity was nominated for a CRAOL award. I must thank our manager at the radio station for selecting the programme and the personal compliment it entails. I was extremely delighted for not alone the listeners but for the many contributors who assist with the production each week."